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11 January 2014

Posted on Jan 11, 2014

Church Instructs Leaders on Same-Sex Marriage

January 10, 2014

Mormon Newsroom

On December 20, 2013, a federal district judge in Salt Lake City issued an order legalizing same-sex marriage in Utah, striking down century-old state laws and a state constitutional amendment that defined marriage exclusively as between a man and a woman. The United States Supreme Court has put that ruling on hold pending consideration of the issue by an appellate court. During the interval between the district court ruling and the Supreme Court stay, numerous same-sex marriages were performed in Utah. Legal proceedings and legislative action in some other states and countries have given civil recognition to same-sex marriage relationships.

In this article brother, Ash discusses the meaning of “true,” “correct,” “historicity” and “verisimilitude” in relation to the Book of Mormon translation. In light of our discussion on language translations, Joseph Smith obviously understood that the book could contain errors because (a) he corrected errors in later editions, and (b) the Book of Mormon prophets themselves expressly state the likelihood of errors (see Title Page and Mormon 9:31-32). “Correct,” in the context used by Joseph is related to “true.” The Book of Mormon teaches those “correct” principles that can lead us to God.

The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints has issued its strongest statement yet on the same-sex marriage situation in Utah, reminding its lay leaders across the country that they may not perform or permit such marriages to take place on church property.

It also said church meetinghouses and other properties may not be used for receptions and celebrations for same-sex couples.

ABC15 will broadcast a rare in-depth look at the new Gilbert Mormon temple during a 30-minute special airing at 6:30 p.m. on Friday, Jan. 17.

The special will show viewers what goes on inside the temples of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, and will be broadcast the night before the church opens the doors to its new Gilbert temple, allowing hundreds of thousands of members and non-members alike a free tour of the building.

A piece of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints history was the focus of a segment on PBS’s “Antiques Roadshow” this week, as a rare first edition copy of the Book of Mormon was appraised at between $75,000 and $100,000.

The text, which was received by the unnamed owner’s family just three years after the Book of Mormon was originally written in 1830, has been passed through the generations since the owner’s great great grandfather received it in 1833, reported Deseret News.

It’s fitting that Utah is ground zero in the national firestorm over the definition of what is, and what isn’t, marriage.

In the 1800s, Mormons in Utah ferociously clung to a radical new view of marriage. Not only was traditional marriage of “one man to one woman only” mocked in the pages of the Deseret News as being an “impracticable standard,” but in Mormon doctrine “til death do us part” became “for time and all eternity.”

Best. Elder. Ever. A missionary from American Fork shares his beliefs with tens of thousands in one day

January 10, 2014

American Fork Citizen (Utah)

James Kimball, 20, who serves a mission in the Cincinnati, Ohio, area, was recently afforded an unusual platform for proselyting.

When a religious satire musical called The Book of Mormon opened to rave reviews in Cincinnati, the city’s largest newspaper wanted to meet with an LDS missionary.

The interview, which led to a 700-word piece about Elder Kimball, was published this morning in the print edition of the Cincinnati Enquirer, a daily newspaper with a circulation of roughly 130,000. Its website, cincinnati.com, which delivers an average of 27.1 million page views a month, included two videos and several photos of Elder Kimball tracting with his companion and explaining how the Book of Mormon changed his life.

The recent flurry of court rulings legalizing and then halting gay marriage in Utah has whipsawed residents of this predominantly Mormon city, a conservative enclave that saw its first-ever gay pride celebration only last summer.

For same-sex couples here who say they endure stares and whispers while walking hand in hand, news that they could suddenly marry was almost unbelievable, said Todd Markham, who wed his partner, Addison Rose, during the brief 18-day window when same-sex marriages were allowed.

Meanwhile, city leaders here say they have been receiving emails and calls from residents. “Many people feel that their family values are being attacked,” said Gary Winterton, a Provo city councilman.

Chris Sonderegger, 50, said he’s glad the federal government will recognize his Dec. 23 marriage because he’s worried that if he died, his family would shut out his partner of 25 years, 47-year-old Jim Grow.

“I have a very, very conservative Mormon family, and there would be a very real chance they would come in and take everything,” he said.

This Mormon Church-sponsored research facility is the world’s largest with records from 110 countries. The staff is in the process of digitizing all the records, but often the best way to get family information is to visit. “It’s good to do a little research ahead of time. There’s so much there that you can get lost if you don’t have a goal in mind,” Utley says. 866-406-1830; familysearch.org/locations/saltlakecity-library

NOTE: This is posted for those who are interested in keeping abreast what is being said around the world about The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and its members. MormonVoices cannot and does not guarantee the validity or truthfulness of any information reported. The responsibility for the interpretation and use of this information lies with the reader. As all information comes from other news sources and has not been independently verified, MormonVoices cannot guarantee or be responsible for the security of links in the clipping service. MormonVoices will attempt as much as possible to exclude news articles containing strongly offensive language or which lead to offensive images, but cannot guarantee that some will not slip through.

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